Nova (La Planète des singes)
Nova is a character in La Planète des Singes. History Encounter When the astronauts Ulysse Mérou, Professor Antelle and Arthur Levain reached the surface of the planet Soror with their pet chimp Hector, their first contact with life on the new planet was when a naked "golden" human woman appeared before them at a natural pool of water. To win her trust the explorers engaged her in a simple game of frolicking in the water like seals. When Ulysse attempted gauge a reaction from her with a smile, she reacted in fear. Upon seeing the chimp, Hector dashing out to his human masters she attacked and killed the unfortunate chimp, afterwards fleeing back into the forest. Ulysse smitten with her natural beauty named her Nova. Nova was partly responsible for the trio being stranded in the wilds of Soror. After she fled from them in her initial encounter, she brought news of the visitors to her father and to the greater part of the tribe. Though initial contact with men from Earth were peaceful, the men's laughter evoked a violent response and further agitated them when the men wore clothes. The tribe en-mass stripped the explorers of their clothes and equipment, and sacked their vehicle, stranding them on Soror. Nova's tribe dragged the explorers back to their colony, after which the tribe dispersed to frolicking about in the forests, Nova maintained a keen interest in the strange men, particularly Ulysse. She assisted the godforsaken men in gathering food for them and even helped them make nests. Nova eventually spent the night with Ulysse, snuggling next to him for warmth. The next morning Nova and Ulysse attempted communication. Nova though frighten by the intensity of Ulysse's eyes managed to maintain eye contact. Before Ulysse could engage in any other attempts at communication, she detected the gorilla hunters in the jungles. Like many of her tribemates, her instinct was to flee, however she was hesitant to escape without Ulysse. Captivity After the ape hunting party killed or captured most of the humans, Nova found herself among the survivors with Ulysse. They were sold to the Institute of Advanced Biological Study ''as test subjects in the advancement of science. She protested her treatment when they caged her but calmed down upon realizing her cage was across from Ulysse. Later Zaius paired the Earthman with the Sororian woman in a study of sexual selectivity. When the Earthman refused to engage in relations with her, Zaius replaced her as the designated mate to Ulysses's neighbor. She was returned to him when Ulysses finally responded in the manner of a savage man. Their union ended in cultivating in the eventual birth of their son. During her time in captivity with her newly gained 'mate', Nova noticed the efforts that Ulysse used to attract the attentions of the head researcher chimp Zira in his attempts to prove he was a sentient being. These acts spurred Nova in jealous fits, making her resent the she-ape coming between them whenever possible. After winning the trust of first Zira, and then most of the ape populace, Mérou was recognized as a civilized being and emancipated from his captivity. While it freed the Earthman, it condemn Nova to a lonely existence. Ulysse continued to interact with her, but due to his human self-respect and her status as an animal he kept their former relationship at a distance. Lessons Throughout the novel, Ulysse has attempted to uplift Nova from her bestial state. He was partially successful, due to Nova's emotional attachment to him from the beginning and her willingness to please him in her lessons. Nova is described as an exceptional subject by Ulysse, as she has displayed remarkable cognitive and language abilities. Prior to her captivity the young girl showed enthusiasm in learning to display genuine emotions (managing a grimace when imitating Ulysses' smile). During her time at the Institute she was shown to be able to solve complex problems (creating a makeshift ladder by following the Earthman's example within two days). Also under Ulysse's tutelage she managed to possess a vocabulary of four words. Nova was able to show the potential and hope for all men on Soror to regain their sentience. Motherhood Nova's first step in regaining her kind's lost sentience become's apparent when she is pregnant with Ulysse's child. Zira discovered her to be pregnant and spirited her away to an isolated facility. Her condition was noted to have given her a personality and dignity that she did not display prior to her interaction to Ulysse. Upon her son's birth, christened Sirius, her fleeting gleam of intelligence has become a radiant glow. Another point of her character evolution was that she was able to release her bitterness towards Zira, even trusting her to touch her son. Escape The threat of a new race of intelligent human beings was the catalyst that forced the family to return to Mérou's spacecraft and head back to Earth. Nova's education as a woman would be later continued through the assistance of her 'husband' and son. By the time the family has reached Earth, Nova's motherhood and marriage has transformed her from a savage animal into a rational being, now able to talk and express emotions. However Nova's visit to Earth was short-lived as the family found that the passage of many centuries had led to an ape takeover of that planet too, and forcing them to flee again and wander space. Notes * The character 'Nova' from the movie adaptation, ''Planet of the Apes, was based on Nova. 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